When moving across the country, driving your car to the new home is the relocation option that makes the most sense. If you do your homework right, the cross-country car trip should be a one-of-a-kind experience – cost-effective, comfortable, enjoyable, and even fun for everyone.
Driving your car across the country is the preferred way to move house when you have a family, including pets you may have – a dog, a cat, a bird, and so on. Bear in mind that cross-country moving companies are not allowed to transport pets.
The long-distance moving company you have hired just loaded up your things and drove off in the direction of the new place. What’s your priority task now? To make sure your vehicle fully ready for the cross-country road trip, of course.
Use the following steps to prepare your car for moving across the country.
Check the technical condition of your car
The most important thing when driving long distance is to make sure your vehicle is in excellent technical condition before you depart. Trust us – the last thing you’d want is to have your car break down in the middle of the car trip, thus risking the comfort and safety of the passengers.
Follow this quick checklist to check if your vehicle is up to the task.
Inspect the tires
The tires of your car should be the very first thing you check before the road trip. After all, good tires are critical for save driving across the country.
- Check the air pressure in each tire to make sure it’s adequate. If you’re unsure just how inflated the tires should be, consult the car manual or contact the car dealer to find out.
- Inspect the tread of each car and look for worrisome signs such as cracking or balding. Good tire treads will ensure proper traction on the road.
- Check your spare tire as well – it should be adequately inflated. While you’re at it, check if the car jack and the lug wrench are also present in the trunk.
Top off all car fluids
First of all, take a closer look at the engine compartment, the underneath space of the chassis, and the area of fuel tank for any possible fluid leaks.
Secondly, check the level of all car fluids – engine oil, windshield washer fluid, coolant, and brake fluid – and top them off, if necessary. If you’re not sure how to check the levels of those fluids, have a licensed car mechanic do it for you.
And finally, make sure you keep spare fluids (the major ones) in your trunk if any of them gets too low when moving across the country.
Check the car battery
Check visually the condition of the car battery – it should be fully charged and well secured in its fixing brackets.
Should you notice any issues such as corrosion or leaking, you have to replace the car battery right away.
Check all car lights
Start with the exterior lights – check the headlights first, then proceed with the fog lights, and then the taillights. Make sure the turn signals function properly too. In order to check the brake lights, you’ll need a helper – just tap on the brakes and have your friend assure you that both lights come on.
Also, make sure all interior lights work alright. It’ll be a long car drive and you’ll definitely need interior lights when driving late in the evening or at night.
Check the brakes
When preparing your car for moving long distance, it’s vital that you check the condition of the vehicle’s brakes. You’ll be driving along various terrains on your car trip, so you have the peace of mind that the braking systems are in perfect working order.
Uncharacteristic vibrations or squealing noises when you brake are signs that something’s not quite right. When it doubt, have your vehicle checked up prior to driving away to your new home.
Also, make sure the parking brake is working fine.
Double-check your car insurance and registration
It’s important that you check your car insurance card and make sure it’ll be valid until you reach your destination state. Also, make sure the car registration is valid. It can be easy to neglect this step simply because you worry about these car documents only once a year.
Place these important vehicle documents in the glove department and keep them safely there throughout the cross-country move. Of course, your valid driver’s license should be with you at all times as well.
If you don’t know how to complete the above car checks or you feel nervous about doing it, or maybe you just don’t have enough time to inspect the technical condition of your car before driving off in the direction of the new home, then do consider leaving your car at an authorized car service center to have it checked by professional car mechanics.
Read also: Tips for driving cross country when moving to a new home
Pack up all car trip essentials first
You’ll get the chance to pack up your car for the cross-country trip prior to moving out, but before that, you have to make sure you’ve already packed the most essential items in it.
- Standard car equipment. The spare tire, jack, lug wrench, tire pressure gauge, and various hand tools should already be packed away safely in the car.
- Car emergency kit. Check whether you’ve got the necessary car equipment in case of an emergency – a first-aid kit, a triangle, emergency flares, tow rope, jumper cables, a flashlight + spare batteries, and blankets.
- Winter emergency items. If you happen to be moving in the winter, then be sure to add tire chains (if allowed by law), winter-ready wipers, a snow shovel, ice scrapers, a bag of sand or salt, and a jerry can with fuel.
- Navigation and communication. A GPS device or a smartphone with a trustworthy navigation app should prove to be extremely helpful during your cross-country car trip. Keeping a paper road map with you is always a good idea as well.
- Medicines and toiletries. In addition to the first-aid kit, don’t forget to pack prescription medicines, painkillers, and allergy medication in the car. Also, hygiene products such as hand sanitizers, wet wipes, paper towels, and other personal care items.
- Clothes. Must-have items in the car during the cross-country move are a change of clothes for each family member (passenger), warm blankets, towels. When moving in winter, you’re recommended to add sleeping bags too.
- Food and water. Packing extra bottles of water, non-perishable snack food (nuts, granola bars, etc.), and perishable food stored in coolers (sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables) are always a good idea when driving across the country in your car.
See also: How to pack a car for moving
If you’re planning to drive your car across the country until you reach the new home and you’re still searching for a reputable cross-country moving company, get free quotes from a few top-rated long-distance movers near you and compare the cost estimates to pick the best offer.
